Float



w'. A., F. AND F. H. ENGELHARU.

FLOAT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, I9I9.

Patented July 20, 1920.

lll

fin- 2- INVENToR.

BY? ,4. 77M

ATmRNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. WILLIAM A. ENGELHARD, FRAN'K ENGELHARD, AND FREDRICK I-I. ENGELHARD, OF

SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FLOAT.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, VILLIAM A. ENGEL- HARD, F RANK ENGELHARD, and FREDERICK H. ENGELHARD, all citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Auseful Float, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in floats of both the column and spherical types, which are used in fluid containers of various kinds and for various purposes, and

consists essentially of what may be termed a long. upper shell and a short lower shell, which shells are interiorly reinforced with suitable means and in a suitable manner, and exteriorly plated in a certain peculiar manner, all as hereinafter set forth.A

Heretofore floats have been made with a joint located in the horizontal, central plane thereof, and such joint so located is very liable to become broken or ruptured and the float to buckleror collapse, even under pressure to withstand which the loat is particularly adapted and especially designed. It is a well known fact that a float subjected to alternating high andlow temperature expands and contracts and produces an action technically known as breathing rlhis breathing action is more pronounced and has its greatest effect in the central portion, transversely, of the float, and it is practically impossible in many if not most cases so to construct a float with a central, trans verse joint which is able to withstand the aforesaid action, and which will not.v sooner or later, open at the joint, when, of course, the float is rendered useless.' The primary object Vofy our invention is, therefore, to-produce a float, `of either of the types vabove mentioned, which has its joint remote from and preferably below the transverse center thereof, and is so constructed, reinforced, and strengthened that it is able to resist and withstand withoutV impairment, not only eX- terior pressure to the required or predetermined eXtent or degree, but also the action due to change in temperature, that is to say, the socalled breathing action. Y

A further object is to'construct a float the top and Vbottom portions of which are capable to the fullest extent of withstanding the force or pressure exerted thereon, as well as to construct the float so that it will Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led October 29, 191B.

`floats as well-see Fig. 3.

Patented July 2o, 1920.

Serial No. 334,241.

resist pressure on the sides thereof. Naturally and for obvious reasons rthe bottom of the float is in practice subjected to great pressure, while the top of the float must be made sufficiently strong to enable suitable attachment to be made at that point. Ve provide our float at the top and bottom with special and peculiar means, so to speak, for affording the necessary degree of strength and resistance, and strength and resistance which are of the particular character needed at those points or localities.

Still another object is to produce a float of this character which not only possesses the advantages set out above, but is comparatively simple and inexpensive in construction, and withal entirely practicable and highly efhcient. 1

Other objects and advantages willappear in the course of the following description.

7e attain the objects and secure the advantages of our invention by the means illusV trated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a central, vertical section through a column float which embodies a practical form of our invention; Fig. 2, a cross section taken through said float on lines 2 2, looking down, in Fig. l, and, Fig. 3, central, vertical section through a spherical float that also embodies a practical form of said invention.

Similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

Upon referring to the first two views, it will be observed that the column float therein illustrated comprises upper and under shells l and 3, respectively, an intermediate, interior, reinforcing ring 4, and an interior, joint-closing, and reinforcing ring 5. There is also, at the top of the shell .1 and, there. fore, of the float a nipple 6, such as is common to floats 0f thistype, and to spherical The nipple 6, in each case, has a flange 7 at its inner end which flange is received against the top of the float inside. A

Referring to the column float again, it

will be seen that the shell l has a hemithe result that the thickest part of saidshell is at the top, and it is through such top that the nipple 6 of this ioat extends and tothe same that the said nipple is affixed. rllhe nipple 6 is securely fastened or attached to the top of the shell 1 in the usual manner.

The shell Sis alsospun out of sheet-metal, and it is of substantially the saine thickness as the contiguous edge portion oi the shell 1. The joint between the shells 1 and 3 is indicated by the numeral 8, and the same is a butt or flush j oint. j

The metal of which the shells 1 and 3 are made is copperYin'practically all eases, that being the metal oi whieh floats generally are almost universally constructed, such shells being spun out of or formed 'from compara tively thin sheets ol copper.

The ring t is preferably convoluted in cross section, substantially in the manner shown, and said ring is located in the transverse center ot the iioat, being in direct corn tact with the cylindrical portionoit the shell,

, and being held thereto usually by the application of solder. There is no joint adjacent or contiguous to the ring el, which fact together with the presence of said ring, both removes all danger of rupture of the shell 1 and insures the float against collapse, in the vicinity of saidring which is one of the more vulnerable zones of the float.-V

- The ring 5 is first forced down into'the topl of the shell 3, wherein the'under por-V tion of said ring is adapted to lit, leaving theV upper portion oil said ring extending above said shell. The shell lis then placed over the ring 5 on the shell 3 to form the joint S. The joint S is soldered, and more or less of the solder used for that purpose works through onto the ring 5,- so that in no event is there any liability oit displace ment on the part oi`. said ring. The ring overlaps the jointed portions of the Ytwo shells, thus assisting inV closing the joint 8, and buttresses such portions. Furthermore, this ring like the ring 1 greatly augments the power of resistance to pressure of the i'ioat. i v y After the parts `have been assembled, in the manner hereinbefore described, an exterior coating of Vmetal is deposited, by electro-plating, on the shells 1 and 3. Copper is the metal used for this coating when the shells 1 and 3 are of copper, which is almost invariably the casek as previously observed. For ythe sake of illustration, we have shown a dotted line 9 in the Adrawings to indicate an imaginary line'between the shells 1 and 3 and the coating, to which re'lierence has just been made, deposited on said shells. `The material inside of the dotted line 9 is assumed to be the original metal of the copper shells 1 and 3, and the material `outside of such line is assumed to be the deposit or coating. This deposit or coating covers the joint 8 completely, as it does every other part ot the exterior ot the float, except the nipple 6. y f f f ln the process of electro-plating the heavier or heaviest deposit is always at the bottom, and so, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1, the thickest portion ofthe plate or coating in the present case is at the bottom oi the shell '3 and consequently of the float itself.

rlhus the bottom of the float is materially strengthened7 and so'strengthened at another of its more lrulnerable zones.

`The sphericalfloat illustrated: in Fig. 8 consists of upper and under` shells 10 and 11, respective, oined together with a flush joint below the central, horizontal plane Vot the float, at 12, and -anjinterior, reinforcing, joint-closing ring 13, with the exterior coating or plating outside oi' the dotted line 1i, which like therdotted line 9 in theiirst ef;- ample indicates an assumed line of demarcation between the metaloil the shells and the metal ot the deposit. Here, agaiin'the upper shell is thicker at tlietop than at the sides, to afford the eXtra-'strength required i'or 'the nipple 6 of this float, which nipple is attached to said shell inthe same manner as before, and the plating'orcoating is ythicker 'at the bottom otthe under shell, due to a similar cause and for asimilar reason. rEhe e shell 10 is greater in size than a hemisphere,

while the shell 11 -isfless in size than a heinisphere, and said shell 11 correspondsin `thickness withthat otsaid shell 10 at the plained, the spherical float is similar to the column lioat in construction and manner ot assembling, and the v'former possesses advantages which are very similar toit not identical with those possessed by the-latter.

In. each example theeirterior` surt-ace is without al joint and smoothfand unbroken, as is essential in a deviceofthiskind.

The sizeof the floats will vary, and more or less ychange in the size,shape, construction, and'arrangement'of either or both of the rings in the column float and ofthe ringj in the spherical float may be made without departing'from the spirit of our inventionor exceeding the scopeo what is claimed. Y. I y j What weclaim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As `an improved article of manufacture, a float comprising two shells joined together on a plane which is remote from the central horizontal plane of the float, and a coating of metal on the exterior of said shells and over the joint therebetween, the upper shell being thicker on the top than the lower shel 2. As an improved article of manufacture, a float comprising two shells joined together on a plane which is remote from the central horizontal plane of the float, and a coating of metal on the exterior of said shells and over the joint therebetween, such coating being thickest at the bottom of said float.

3. As an improved article of 1nanufacture, a float comprising two shells oined to-V gether on a plane which is remote from the central horizontal plane of the ioat, and a coating of metal on the exterior of said shells and over the joint therebetween, the

upperV shell being thicker on top than the under shell, and said coating beingthickest at the bottom of said float.

t. As an improved article of manufacture, a float comprising two shells oined together on a plane which is remote from the central horizontal plane of the float, a reinforcing and joint-closing ring within said shells, and a coating of metal on the outside of said shells and over the joint therebetween.A

5. A float comprisingv upper and under shells joined together at their ends on a plane which is below the central horizontal plane of the float, said upper shell being thicker on top than said under shell, and a coating on the exterior of said shells and over the joint therebetween.

6. A oat comprising upper and under shells joined together at their open ends on a plane which is below the horizontal central plane of the float, and a coating of metal on the exterior of said shells and over the joint therebetween7 said coating being thickest at the bottom of the float.

7. A float comprising upper and under shells joined together at their open ends on a plane which is below the central horizontal plane of the float, said upper shell being thicker on top than said under shell, and a coating of metal on the exterior of said shells and over the joint therebetween', said coating being thickest at the bottom of the float.

8. A ioat compris-ing upper and under shells joined togetherat their open ends on a plane which is below the central horizontal plane of the float, a reinforcing and joint-iy closing ring within said shells, and a coating of metal on the exterior of said shells and over the joint therebetween.

9. A float comprising a shell having hemispherical and cylindrical portions, a reinforcing ring within said cylindrical portion of said shell, a hemispherical shell joined to said cylindrical portion, a reinforcing and joint-closing ring within said shells, and a coating of metal on the exterior of said shells and over the joint therebetween.

l0. A float comprising upper and under shells joined together at their open ends on a plane which is below the horizontal central plane of the float, said upper shell-being thicker on top than said under shell, a reinforcing and oint-closing ring within said shells, and a coating of metal on the exterior of said shells and over the joint therebetween, such coating being thickest at the bottom of the float.

11. A float comprising a shell having hemispherical and cylindrical portions, such hemispherical portion being thicker than such cylindrical portion, a reinforcing ring within said cylindrical portion, a hemispherical shell joined to said cylindrical portion, a reinforcing and joint-closing ring within said shells, and a coating of metal on the exterior of said shells and over the joint therebetween, suclrcoating being thickest at the bottom of the ioat.

WILLIAM A. ENGLEHARD.

FRANK ENGLEHARD.

FREDERICK H. ENGLEHARD. lVitnesses A. C. FAIRBANKS, HAZEL E. LOMBRA. 

